Game



Aug.2, 1932. PETER 1,869,388

GAME

Filed March 26, 1929 ATTORNEY Patented Augz, 1932 KURT PETER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y;

' GAME Application filedl iltlarchv 26, 1929. Serial N 0. 349,941.,

This invention relates to amusement devices in general and particularly to an amusement device requiring not only skill of the players, but providing surprises for the participants of the game. i

It consists of two or more stands provided with hinged platforms, adapted to normally support the players, and target members in front of the players equipped with a plurality of individual targets corresponding, in each stand, to the'number of stands employed, and

so arranged that their operation will cause the platforms to tilt, thereby precipitating thefall of the affected player.

The targets control the operation or rather the release of the platforms from their normal supporting position. The targets are electrically or mechanically grouped together in a predetermined fashionfsoas to form plat- 26 form control fields corresponding to the num-' ber of platforms or stands employed. When a target in any one field is operated, the; plat:

form controlled bythat field is released. 1 The I players not knowing which one of the targets controls their own platform upon which'they stand may them selves cause their own plat form to collapse. The actuation of the targets may be caused by throwing balls, shooting, or other means of hitting the targets.

The foregoing general description will be more fully apparent from the following spec-- ific'ation and the accompanying drawings,

forming part of my disclosure, but by no means intended to limit it to the actual shows ing, and in which c Figure 1 is a perspective View, illustrating a group of target stands, 1

Figure; 2 is a typical cross sectional'view through one of the stands, and Y Figure 3 is an electric diagram showing the connections-ofindividual targets and their grouping for platform controls. I

In the figures, numeral 10 denotes a base upon which are mounted stands 11, comprising collapsible or hinged platforms 12, so arranged that they may swing or tilt downwards, thereby causing the player to fall upon the soft front portion 13 of platform 10. This front portion 13 is preferably made in the form of aspring mattress-orally other arrangement preventing injuries to the players when they are caused to fall thereupon.

In each stand there will be seen in. front of the platform 12, a barrierld, preferably provided with an opening through which balls 15 held ready byspring 16, may be made available to the players. Behi nd barrier 14 there willbe seen a field in the form of a tray 17,

adapted to catch the missiles thrown against the target members 18, provided with individual'targets 19,20, 2:1 and 22. I r Referring to Figure 2,it' willbe seen that the individual'targets comprise hinged discs which arerestricted in their outwardj movement butare adapted to'swing inwards and towards contact points 24, 25, 26 and 27.

'Target 22 will be seenelectrically connected by means of conductor .28 to electro-magnetic member, 29,.from,whic hleads a conductor 30 to an electric source of en'ergy,'indicated at 31,;and from which leadscondueto rgl' to contact point 27.

When target 22 is hit,v Contact V with contact point 27 energizes electro-magnet 29,'and causes the spring controlled ,arma? ture 32 to recede into the solenoid.v By thusreceding, armature 32 releases spring con; trolled pawli33 with the end of catch lever 34. The latter is hinged at 35 and provided with a retaining hook 36, which is normally engaged by gravity pawl 37, forming the extension of weighted lever 38 hingedat 39. This weighted lever 38, forms an extension of'platform 12. Its weight, indicated at 40,

is less than the average weight of a person standing uponplatform 12. Therefore,when' the electro-magnet drawsin armature 32,

the weight of the player causes platform 12 to swing downwards, and thereforeprecipitates the fall ofthe player upon the soft front portion 13 ofv platform 10. .The moment the weightof theplayer releasesplat-' form 12, the weight l0 brings lever 38 into its normal position, and pawl-37 is caught hook 36 and armature 32, which was momentarily .drawn in but immediately theree after released, due toits normal position,

again supports pawl 33. Thus, the arrangement is brought intonormal position.

'Lever 34 is supportedby an expansion particularly adapted for throwing balls spring provided near the pawl end 33 of its longer arm, and the upward movement of this arm induced by that spring is limited by a suitable construction at the fulcrum 35 of the lever, so that pawl 33 cannot swing beyond a position Just clearing armature 32. Referring to Figure 3, there willbe seen the arrangement of grouping together the targets so that eachchain or row of targets is connected in parallel with each other and thereby enables any one player in any one of the stands to Cause thefall of any one of the players in any one stand, including him self. In this figure, numeral 41 indicates the source of energy, and numerals 42, 43, 44, a5 and 46, indicatethe electro-magnets.

It will be observed'that' in this figure five electro-magnets are shown, indicating that any number of stands may befemployed to comprise a game. Conseq'uently,a corresponding number of targets is shown for each stand. The targets and the contact points are illustrated dlagrannnatically only,

and I shall mark'only the electric conductors connecting targets and contact points .by

numerals. Thus,-n-umeral 42 indicates targets controlllngtelectromagnet 4:2, and nu; meral 4-2 indicates the contact points coopcrating with targets 42. Numeral 43 indiindicates contact'points controlling electro-magnet 43, etc.

cates targets, and'numeral 43 It will be seen'from Figure 3 that the tar! gets and contactpoints' are grouped horizontally with each other and each group controls its respective electromagneticdevice. This grouping, however, may be read-ily changed to any desired arrangement so as to prevent any one player from knowing Which one of the targets in front of him controls his own platform. He then cannot know when hittinga target whether he himself will cause 7 his platform tooperate and precipitate his fall and the termination of his game.

' While I have shown and described a game against targets, and while I have illustrated only four stands in Figure 1, and indicated five stands in Figure 3, be it understood that the operation of the targets may be readily changed from balls toany other missile; that even the basic principles of a shooting gallery may be employed for operating thetargets,

- mean s.

In the foregoing description I have described one form of my game in which neither of the players isaware which one of the targets controls his own platform. '70

However, in Figure 3 the diagram illustrates that the successive rows of targets control p the platforms in a defined" way so that the upper row of targets control the mechanism,

indicated at 4-2, or the first platform, the second row, the second platform, and so on. In this arrangement each player knows which row of targets controls his platform,

which enables him to avoid. hitting the target controlling his platform, but he will seek hitting the targets controlling his opposing players. Thus, a very interesting and amusing'game may be fought.

From the foregoing it is evident that while have mentioned various improvements, I shall not be limited thereto, and I therefore changes and improvements or alterations as various localities and for various purposes.

I claim b 1'. An amusement device, comprising a plurality of operable player stands adapted to normally support a player, a stand. releasmg means provided with each stand, a plurality oftargets facing each stand and operreserve for myself the right tomake such' may be required in employing my device in atively connected to certain of said releasing V 2. An amusement device, comprising a plurality of'operable player stands, normally in playersupporting positi0n, stand releasing means providedwith each'stand, a

multiple target member facing each stand and consisting of a plurality of individual targets arranged in groups corresponding in numbers to that of the stands, each target group connected with and adapted to control the stand releasing means of one stand. 3. In anamusement device, a plurality of operable stands adapted to normally supportplayers, stand releasing means provided with each stand, "a multiple target member arranged in front of each and provided with a plurality of individual targetslarranged in groups, and corresponding in numbers'to the number of stands each group'co'nnected with and adapted to control the releasing means of one stand, control connections providedbetween the targets of each target group in such a way that when any one of the connected targets is operated, the releasing means of the corresponding stand will be actuated 4.1In an amusement device, a plurality of target stands provided with collapsible platforms normally adapted'to support players, releasing means associated with each plat form, target members arranged in front of 7 each platform and having a plurality of individual targetsythe number of targets on each target member corresponding to the number of platforms, connections arran ed between the targets of one target mom er and corresponding targets of the other target members, to form chains or rows of connected targets, each chain or row controlling the releasing means of one of the platforms, whereby the operation of any one target of such chain will cause the collapse of the platform controlled by said chain or row.

'5. In an amusement device, a plurality of target stands provided with collapsible platforms, normally adapted to support players, releasing means associated with each platform, electro-magnetic actuating means forming part of said releasing means, a target member for each target stand arranged in front of each platform and each provided with a plurality of individual targets correif sponding in number to that of the platforms, electric connections provided between corresponding targets of each stand and forming target groups, each of such target groups controlling the electro-magnetic actuating means of one platform, said targets in each group forming individual contact makers and breakers which, when brought into circuit closing position, will cause the energizin of said electro-magnetic means, which latter will in turn cause the collapse of the corresponding platform, thereby overturning the player standing thereon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' KURT PETER. 

